


I'll keep the world safe and sound for you

by frostysunflowers



Series: Irondad Bingo [9]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Movie Night, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Stephen King References, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-11 20:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20552120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostysunflowers/pseuds/frostysunflowers
Summary: ''Wow, that movie really scared you,'' Peter frowns, burying his feet beneath Tony’s thigh and tucking himself up into the couch cushions. ''I didn’t know clowns bothered you so much.''''They don’t,'' Tony insists. ''Besides, I wasn’t the one who practically wasted all the popcorn by jumping every few minutes.''Peter scowls playfully. ''Hey, I’m not ashamed of my fears.''''I’mnotasham – '' Tony stops and glares at the wide grin Peter is giving him. ''Just shut up and get over here, Underoos.''





	I'll keep the world safe and sound for you

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, this is an idea that snuck up on me, because this isn't what I pictured doing for the 'Protective Tony' square for irondad bingo haha, but here it is! I'm off to see IT chapter 2 tonight and that is what inspired this short and sweet fic. I hope you enjoy!

''I cannot believe you used my money to buy such filth.''

Peter glances back at him. ''Red Vines aren’t filth, Mister Stark.''

Tony bumps Peter with his shoulder, knocking him gently forward. ''No, you’re right. They’re an abomination, a pox on society, the very epitome of all that is wrong with the – ''

Something flies into his face and he squawks, the hand not clutching their sodas immediately fumbling to catch it.

''I can’t believe _you _like Sour Patch Kids,'' Peter says as he heads down the aisle containing their seats.

''How did I get saddled with a monstrosity like you, huh? What kind of sicko has the gall to slander the gloriousness that is Sour Patch Kids?''

''Is that where your nickname for Rhodey comes from?'' Peter asks curiously. ''Does he not like them either?''

''Wouldn’t you like to know.''

Peter laughs, setting an overflowing box of popcorn on the floor. He wriggles around in his seat to get comfortable as Tony drops down beside him and immediately props his feet up on row in front. Tony had wanted to book out all the seats to give them complete privacy, but Peter had insisted that such a thing was more than overkill. So they compromised on the last four rows, allowing them to sit at the back without being seen.

Or having to put up with any overly hormonal teenagers making good use of the shadows for entirely different reasons.

Tony had slipped the movie usher a hundred-dollar bill in exchange for early access. The man had nearly fallen over in shock when he clocked the tinted sunglasses and familiar goatee peaking out from underneath a baseball cap and had wasted no time in opening the doors and letting them through. 

Tony shucks the cap just as people start to shuffle in, shoulders relaxing as not a single person glances their way as they find their seats. A loud rustle of plastic makes him turn his head towards Peter. He wrinkles his nose as Peter shoves a Red Vine into his mouth and begins to suck on it.

Tony rips open his own bag of candy and shoves a handful into his mouth, smacking his lips against the rush of sourness on his tongue. He studies the packet as he chews.

''I remember when these were called Mars Men.''

''Are you about to give an old man anecdote from the good ol’ days?'' Peter teases, leaning away as Tony reaches over to try and snatch his Red Vines.

''No more candy for you.''

Peter bats him off before hissing at him to be quiet as the lights go slightly dim.

''Relax, Underoos, it’s only the trailers.''

Tony says it casually, schooling his face as Peter glares at him. He knows that the trailers are equally important to Peter as the actual main feature, but he can’t resist the opportunity to wind the kid up. Especially when Peter gives him the look that makes him look like a grumpy puppy. He chuckles when Peter thwacks him on the arm with a Red Vine but obediently falls silent as the first trailer starts, hastily cracking open the sodas and taking a swig of his own before placing Peter’s in the nearby cup holder.

They sit through two horrendously loud previews featuring too many explosions and gaudy CGI before a soft tremble of music has Peter bolting upright in his seat, the Red Vines squishing together in his grip. Tony feels a spark of comfort fizzle through him as he watches the familiar scenes play out on the screen, reminding him of his own love for the movies that had started long before Peter had even been alive. Peter’s enraptured gasp at the sight of a new lightsaber duel quickly captures his attention and the comfort bursts into a tingly joy.

Peter sits back, smiling dopily, hands finally relaxing to reveal the squashed candy.

''As good as you hoped, kiddo?''

''My heart beats to the sound of a swinging lightsaber,'' Peter says dreamily, ''and my soul is one with the Force.''

Tony snorts, lifting an arm and hooking it over the back of the seats, hand coming down on Peter’s shoulder. ''You really are the biggest nerd.''

''Affirmative.''

Peter reaches down to pull the popcorn bucket up between them and settles against the curve of Tony’s arm as the lights go fully down and the movie begins.

Since his early teens, Tony’s been a fan of Stephen King. Many long nights were spent reading into the dawn, caught up in gigantic brick-sized books telling tales of towns full of vampires and haunted hotels and epic journeys across apocalyptic wastelands. Rhodey had found himself on the business end of a frying pan on a few occasions during their college years when he’d been unfortunate enough to startle a thoroughly engrossed and nervous Tony from the dark worlds within the pages.

The tale of an ancient evil that masquerades as a clown and eats children is definitely one of the stories that has left its mark, because Tony can feel the familiar dread creeping up on him as the sinister events get underway on the big screen.

It’s not exactly terrifying, not when you know the story as well as Tony does, but for someone like Peter, a self-proclaimed wimp when it comes to any horror movie, it’s more than enough to have him lifting his knees and angling them just right so he can shield his eyes without having to use his hands.

As everything becomes more gruesome, more emotional, more chilling in a way that Tony suddenly remembers with great clarity, he begins to eat his candy in earnest, using the shock of sour sugar to ground him whilst pulling Peter even closer.

A piercing scream and a close-up flash of a horrifying clown smile sends the popcorn bucket leaping into the air, kernels spilling onto their laps as Peter jumps harshly, his yelp joining that of several others. Tony finds himself immediately reacting on protective instinct, yanking the kid half into his lap and bracing an arm around his chest, holding tight even as he hears Peter let out a weak laugh of embarrassment.

They stay that way for much longer than is necessary, Tony’s grip not slackening and Peter tilting back into him, curly hair tickling Tony’s cheek. Less than a minute after Peter is settled back in his own seat, shovelling a few pieces of dropped popcorn into his mouth, Tony is slapping a hand across his eyes.

''Mister Stark!'' Peter whispers loudly. ''What – ''

''It’s for your own good, kid,'' Tony assures, wincing as the familiar horror comes to life in front of his eyes, sending him back to that night he spent tucked up against Rhodey’s side, one hand holding onto his sleeping friend’s foot for comfort as he turned the pages in a desperate chase towards the end.

And that’s the thing. It’s not always about scary faces and dramatic jump scares; loss and grief and hopelessness, the fear of losing all those you love and being powerless to do a thing about it is just as terrifying and Tony suddenly feels a furious urge to keep Peter’s eyes covered forever, should it mean he’ll never have to experience such things any more than he already has.

Plus that clown really is creepy as hell.

Tony keeps Peter close as they leave, waiting for the place to empty before heading for the exit. It only takes a minute or two of being out in the fresh air for Tony to realise that he’s seriously creeped out. Everything suddenly feels like a threat and he wastes no time in bundling Peter into the awaiting car and telling Happy to step on it so they get home as soon as possible.

All the way there and after they enter the tower, Peter jabbers excitedly about the Star Wars trailer and which parts of the movie he liked the most while Tony peers suspiciously at nearly anything and everything, the rational side of his brain no match for the unnecessary foreboding he can feel skipping up his spine.

He relaxes a fraction when he gets his hands on the largest frying pan going.

''You’re Iron Man,'' Peter says slowly with a bemused frown. ''I’m Spider-Man, FRIDAY would tell us if something was wrong, do we really need a – ''

''Hey hey, who’s the expert here, huh?'' Tony points the utensil at him. ''Do you wanna face down evil clowns alone in your sleep tonight?''

Peter’s mouth shuts and he shakes his head quickly.

''Good.'' Tony waves the frying pan in the direction of the door. ''Go get ready for bed.''

Peter glances at his watch and raises a sceptical eyebrow. ''Shouldn’t that be go _to_ bed?''

''I know what I said.'' Tony jabs the air with the pan again, pushing his weight into his feet to keep himself from actually following the kid down the hall.

''Double check all security please, FRI,'' he says as he heads towards the couch, shucking his shoes and grabbing the large sweatshirt he had left there earlier.

_''All security systems operating as necessary,'' _FRIDAY says. _''Would_ _you like me to initiate the Bump in the Night protocol?''_

''No,'' Tony replies as he yanks the hoodie over his head, ''no need to bother Rhodey tonight. Just keep your eyes open.''

_''Would if I had eyes, boss.''_

Tony smirks. ''You’re too sassy for your own good sometimes, you know that?''

_''I believe it is the greatest source of comfort I am able to offer, boss.''_

Tony’s smile grows warm, momentarily dispelling the nerves. ''That’s my girl.''

He’s flicking through a selection of movies, looking for something bright and cheery, when the sudden reappearance of Peter leaping over the back of the couch and landing next to him makes him yell and raise the frying pan defensively.

''Wow, that movie really scared you,'' Peter frowns, burying his feet beneath Tony’s thigh and tucking himself up into the couch cushions. ''I didn’t know clowns bothered you so much.''

''They don’t,'' Tony insists. ''Besides, I wasn’t the one who practically wasted all the popcorn by jumping every few minutes.''

Peter scowls playfully. ''Hey, I’m not ashamed of my fears.''

''I’m _not _asham – '' Tony stops and glares at the wide grin Peter is giving him. ''Just shut up and get over here, Underoos.''

The kid wedges himself against Tony’s side, warm and solid, and takes control of choosing the movie. Tony curls his arm around Peter and settles a hand in his hair, toying gently with the curls whilst gently tapping the frying pan against his knee.

He knows he’s being ridiculous, that there really isn’t anything to be afraid of and even if there was, it sure as hell wouldn’t be a murderous clown wanting to tear them to shreds.

But it’s not enough to quell the desire to hold the kid as close as he can, to completely banish the feeling of urgent protectiveness that has taken hold of him. That's hardly surprising though, seeing as he feels like this most days without the exaggerated but still chilling threat of fictional monsters knocking on the back door of his mind. It's just the way things are now: Tony Stark will protect Peter Parker, no matter what.

And if he ends up staying awake all night, frying pan poised and ready to fight off all manner of insidious nightmares and unwanted terrors to do so, then so be it.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you couldn't tell, I'm a big Stephen King fan haha. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this little piece! Comments and kudos always appreciated <3


End file.
